Pineville holds hearing on water, sewer increase

PINEVILLE—The Pineville Board of Aldermen held a public hearing on March 19 on increasing water and sewer rates by 25 cents.

Alderman Becky Davis said that to secure grants, the city really does not have a choice but to keep up to date on its water and sewer rates.

Alderman Scott Dennis said the city made the wrong choice for years at one point and then had to “do a massive increase.”

Davis said the board has been concerned with the effect on the elderly of raising rates. She said some towns give senior discounts.

Mayor Gregg Sweeten asked if any local towns give the discounts, and Davis said some towns in Arkansas do.

Dennis said he had mixed emotions about senior discounts because, when he had three children at home and worked three jobs, he could have used a discount, but now he gets discounts everywhere and does not need them.

Davis said many elderly people live on $1,000 a month.

A member of the audience suggested the city create a program through which people could apply for a discount, an idea board members liked.

City Clerk Melissa Ziemianin said she would look into it before the next meeting.

During the regular meeting, the board looked at repair estimates for a 2008 Dodge 3500 owned by the city.

Sweeten said C4 Collision in Neosho bid $1,814; Burr Auto in Neosho bid $4,632; Sam’s Shop near Pineville bid $2,654; Jim Morey Auto Body in Bella Vista, Ark., bid $5,529, and Grissom Auto Body bid $7,232.

The board spent several minutes discussing whether each bid included the work desired and which company would do the best job. The board approved the bid from Morey Auto Body.

In other business, the board voted to waive sewer expenses and cut the water expenses in half for a customer who had a 91,000-gallon water leak and approved the payment of bills in the amount of $36,304.